1. Journals

Session 02: The Card Lady

Session

Continued from Session 01: The Actor.

After finishing their interviews with Chalinus Maltinus and Allora Vasta, Constable Amos Crow and his associates Zarin of Bluereed and Tor'in compare notes.  At that point, Ragor approaches Meriel Ravenstone with a message from the local sending station.  When they go so he can show her the message, he signs to her in Thieves' Cant, which she just so happens to know.  After making sure they had some privacy, Ragor begins speaking in perfect Common for the first time.  He intercepted a message from Nestor Soranus to Artur Polinus that explains the theater is closing down indefinitely, and that she would unfortunately be out of a job.  He gives Meriel a letter of recommendation to give to Surt. He knows it's not an ideal job, but working with the Vigilants would at least be regular pay.  Meanwhile, the Vigilants at the theater are gathering everyone's addresses in case they need to contact them later.  They talk to both Meriel and Artur about the murder of Kappa Adolus.  They find out that Kappa plays cards, usually at the Dark Horse Den in Darin's Folly, and sometimes with Nestor.

Tor'in and Amos search Kappa's dressing room one more time.  Tor'in finds a deck of cards from Dark Horse Den, and Amos finds a crumbled note in a drawer that reads: "You will pay what you owe."  He deduces that the note was earlier attached to the door.

Meriel leaves for the Tradefair Seat of Law while the other three grab lunch from a bakery and eat food that is suspiciously doughnut-like.  When they report back to Surt, they learn that Meriel has been hired as a contractor to work with them on the case.  Tor'in is a little leery.  

Together, the quartet visit Nestor, owner of the Gilded Stage. He had large, well-to-do house by the shore of the river in the Overlook neighborhood.  He treated Kappa as a son of sorts.  His own son was part of the Imperial Army, and encountered the undead armies of the necromancer. His body was never found.  Nestor brought up Chalinus's jealousy, and mentioned a near mugging that Kappa experienced and wanted to use as inspiration for the play.  He agreed to work with the Vigilants, and gave them required paperwork to send to the family winery to track the origin of the poisoned bottle.

After leaving Nestor's home, the party heads towards Kappa's home.  It's in the same neighborhood, in a very residential area, consisting of narrow two-story homes.  Under Tor'in's disapproving gaze, Meriel easily picks the lock to the back door.  Inside, the group discovers a deck of marked cards, also from the Dark Horse Den, and enough money to cover about a month's rent.  Upstairs, Kappa had been writing a scene about Solarian being attacked by Hammerfall thugs, much in the same way Nestor described it.

Continues in Session 03: The Dark Horse Den.